Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-01-29

planallOn 10 give OF Iedl reason 10
to make him hurry home-only she
was sure there was harm coming to
the down train--that long crowded
express filled with mountain tour
lists. But she must do something.
The men had disappeared around
a slight bend in the track. Mike
ran in, locked up the Office, snatched
a hat from a nail in the corner and
then hurried up the track until she
arrived at the slight curve. Then
she "made haste more slowly" TOR
there were the men. Stepping be-
hind a clump of bushes she watched
them. They had stopped and were
doing something, she could not at
first see what, to the track. Pretty
soon up came a rail, and ina minute
more it was thrown down a steep
ledge within four feet of the track,
where the whole train must be pre-
cipitated in less than an hour ifsome-
thing could not be done to warn
them. Mike saw it all now and for
a moment stood, her eyes dilated
with horror, while she saw the scoun-
drels shake their fists toward her
way and heard an imprecation.
Then they passed on and Mike,
growing cold in the sudden extrem-
nifty, turned and sped toward the
depot.
The rail had been removed on a
curve which was shaded on the west
side by high bank 30 that at half
past it was quite dusk there, and as
the train always came in on down
grade they come at full speed. So
Mike thought to herself, 'pm 80
glad / came, for now I'll hurry and
telegraph to Stratford before the
train comes by, and then we'll see,
Mr.. Tramps, how your little scheme
comes out"
She reached the Office and looked
at the clock. Five minutes to 81!
and the train left Stratford at SOB.
Well, eight minutes was more than
plenty of time if she could "raise"
Stratford. She grasped the key.
"Sd-sd-sd" clicked the instrument.
Never before was there SO impatient
an operator on that line. With her
eyes on the clock, which seemed
then, if ever, to say "forever-never
-never-forever," she kept up the
call. Somebody on the other side
"broke her" twice, but she gave all
the danger signals she could think
of and kept on. The moments kept
on--one, two, three, four, five-slow-
ly pealed the old clock-each stroke
an agony to the girl.
Meanwhile the agent at Stafford
could not operate at all, and the
boy who could, and who served as
general chore-boy about the place,
had gone for the cows, and there
was no one to answer the call on
which 80 much depended.
A few minutes and ii was toe
late, and Mike was in new dilem.
ma.
Mike closed the key in despair
She did not know the train signals,
but seized the red flag under the old
desk and ran for dear ife-literally
the dear lives of her fellow-creatures
Not until she got to the wrecked
place did she remember that sht
must 60 beyond the curve to stoI
them or she would be of no use. AL
ready she heard the approaching
train rumble in the distance. Faster
faster she sped round the curve
straight on up the track. She coult
see them now coming in. On they
rushed, the great engine bent on de
stroying its precious freight. MIKE
stepped in the midst of the track anC
frantically swung her red flag, bu
still the monster rushed toward her
showing no abatement of speed.
Meanwhile the engineer and fire
man had seen the form of the girl
and the fireman stood aghast to see
the engineer so utterly regardless o
her.
"Stop, mani" he shouted; dom
you see the girl?"
EYES," said the half-drunk engi
neer. "Why don't the little fool ge
out of my way? I'll teach her." anC
made no movement to stop.
Mike waited with sinking hear
oh, why did everything 60 agains
her? Was it the will of God tina
this dreadful thing must happen
The engine was close upon her ant
, sheran up on a iutting rock by tn
, railroad still waving her scarlet flag